Julie Bishop Stands By PM After 30th Poll Loss In A Row

Liberal MPs are playing down the significance of Malcolm Turnbull's 30th Newspoll loss as his deputy backs him to lead the party to the election.

The prime minister equalled the milestone he set when deposing Tony Abbott by suffering his 30th consecutive survey loss on Monday.

“I’ll continue to serve as deputy for as long as my colleagues want me to. And that’s the test for the leadership positions. If you retain the confidence of the majority of the party room then you retain your leadership position.” - @JulieBishopMP#9Todaypic.twitter.com/miZWvOPL3Z

But deputy Liberal leader Julie Bishop is standing by Mr Turnbull, expressing confidence he will lead the party to the next election.

"The public are expressing an opinion but it will come to a point where they will have to make a decision about who they trust with economic management and national security and I'm confident that that will be Malcolm Turnbull," she told the Nine Network.

Asked whether she would run against Mr Turnbull if her colleagues asked her, Ms Bishop said: "I don't envisage those circumstances at all".

Education Minister Simon Birmingham said it is possible to turn the polls around, citing the recent South Australian election.

"If you believed the polls, Nick Xenophon was going to be premier a few months ago," he told ABC TV.

"You can turn these things around through discipline, through hard work, through focusing on the key messages." Liberal senator Eric Abetz said the milestone was a false measure when Mr Turnbull used it, and it remains one now.

"Jumping at shadows at the Newspoll, or indeed 30 Newspolls is never going to be the basis for good, sound government," he told ABC radio.

"The one issue is the poll on election day and whilst Newspolls do give us some indication we have had in the past substantial recovery in the polls come election time so my view is there is no such thing as an unwinnable election."